https://www.cluas.com/indie-music RSS feeds for CLUAS Irish Indie Music 60 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/85/Pony-Club#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=85 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=85&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/85/Pony-Club Despite the fact that nearly every Irish music lover knows their name, and probably has a copy of a Pony Club record lying around somewhere, this band have remained sadly in the background of the Irish music scene. Yet with a brand new album just released, Pony Club are ready to inch that little bit further toward fame. CLUAS writer Alan Morrissey caught up with Mark Cullen from the band. Are you happy with how Post Romantic turned out? I think so, I'm terrible in the studio, I'm always trying to change things up to the very last minute, it usually drives the producer and engineer mad, and I always record more songs than I need just in case I don't like how something turns out. I only ever listen to the final mix and then I never play the record again, probably because small things grate on me, things that nobody else can hear. So yeah I'm thrilled with it, I think . You started the album back in 2006 but a number of things, including your wife being ill, mean the record is only seeing the light of day now- was this lengthy gestation period a source of frustration for you? It started out as being very frustrating but the more ill my wife became the less I cared. She contracted a virus called Guillane barre syndrome and steadily became paralysed so i had to look after the kids, it put everything in perspective for me, music came way down the list.  When you started out in Bawl you probably thought the world was your oyster. By the time you had recorded an album as Fixed Stars that didn't see the light of day had your spirit been broken? Or did these experiences just give you a healthy mistrust of the music business? We had a great time in the intervening years, I'm not bitter in any way. It would have been nice to have success early on but I think I wasn't strong enough as a person to deal with record companies. They let you make the record that they want you to make, if it doesn't sound right to them, i.e. if they can't hear three singles, they just get another producer or get it remixed by someone fabulous and current. I was totally in awe of the whole business especially when we moved to London. We were very young and naive and we hung around with some people who should have looked after us more but I had some incredible memories and experiences, which is all that really matters; it's just a shame that it had to come to an end but we were so much in debt to Mercury and Universal that we would have to have outsold Enya to break even.  Why do you think so many quality Irish acts from that period (Whipping Boy, yourselves, A House, Kerbdog etc) never got the recognition or success they deserved? We were' nut British, and we didn't want it enough, we didn't practice hard enough and we weren't good enough.                When you came back to Dublin after seven years in London to record Home Truths were you treating Pony Club as a full time concern? Or with a wife and kids were you always viewing it as a vehicle to just have fun and if anything else came your way it was a bonus? No, I had just signed to Setanta and I still had a publishing deal with Chrysalis, but for the first time in my life I was left alone to make a record. You could never make a record like Home Truths on a major. Writing music for me is not fun, it takes a lot out of me. Playgrounds are fun though, I don't think I've ever grown up. Was living in your parents' house in Finglas when you came back to Dublin a humbling experience, or a valuable learning curve for you?  A learning curve in how to dissolve your marriage in three easy stages, it was an absolute fucking nightmare. Finglas hadn't changed much, still extremely exposed to the elements. You have been called in some quarters "one of the great Irish songwriters of the past decade". Do you think there's anything particularly Irish about your music, and if so, what exactly? I am very flattered by that, I have always tried to retain my accent when singing, that was always extremely important to me. Maybe if i had an american twang like Bono I would have done better perhaps, but I come from a suburb in Dublin that's basically like any other suburb in the UK – or any other european city for that matter – so the topics are parochial yet universal I hope. Even Cannes has a Dorset street.            You seem to constantly get critical acclaim- is there ever a stage when you just think "I just want bloody success, to hell with the acclaim!" Christ yeah. It's not easy always being the poor relation with a bag full of newspaper clippings, but unfortunately I'm more interested in writing a song like Ave Maria than Are we Human. I also have an extravagant taste in cars: I have my 16 berth car garage all planned out, I'd be worse than Chris de Burgh. People rate you as an excellent lyricist, up there with Morrissey, who is one of your big influences. Is there an exact science in relation to how you work- words before music or vice versa?  The music nearly always comes first, It's funny though, I never really liked Morrissey that much I was always more in to Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. Reaction to Post Romantic has been extremely positive- do you pay much attention to any of it, or is it dangerous for your ego?! No, I always read the reviews, sure that's all I've got. It's hardly like i'm selling any records... What's next for Pony Club- will there be a full tour and promotional work to back the new release? I wasn't expecting to do anything but the reaction to the record has been so good all over the place that the pony will be riding into a town near you, probably in Feb/March – and maybe even a spot on the Late Late. Interview by Alan Morissey More ... Alan Morrissey Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:51:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:85 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/368/Wildbirds-Peacedrums-Heartcore#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=368 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=368&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/368/Wildbirds-Peacedrums-Heartcore Review Snapshot:  In terms of 'stripping it down' The White Stripes have nothing on Wildbirds & Peacedrums. Their concoction of enchanting vocals and variable drum sounds proves to be a unique listening experience. With minimal embellishment ( a double-tracked vocal here, a hint of glockenspiel there), Heartcore's fusion of swampblues, folk, rock and numerous other genres provides the year's most unexpected highlight to date. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review:  They say good things come to those who wait and in the case of the unfortunately named Wildbirds & Peacedrums it may well be true for all of us. Heartcore, the 2007 debut release from Swedish couple Marian Wallentin and Andreas Werliin, is winging its way to our stereos just as their sophomore album The Snake comes out in their homeland. Wildbirds & Peacedrums left music college as they deemed its teachings to be 'too rigid' and on this evidence it's easy to see why. Werliin's stated mission is to convey as many different sounds and feelings through his drumset as is possible and it's only fair to say that he succeeds, providing backing on a collection of songs that run the gamut from blues, through rock, balladry, nu-folk and everything in between. But the real ace in the pack is Wallentin's voice. The recent spate of Dusty Springfield tribute acts (Duffy, Adele, Amy Wino yawn, yawn...) have nothing on her haunting, powerful wailing. On opener 'Pony' she delivers a soulful vocal over a sparse acoustic motif, 'Bird' will remind many of fellow Scandanavian Bjork's acapella record Medulla, while the long gone cries of Blues singers such as Bessie Smith reverberate through 'The Ones That Should Save Me Get Me Down'. There are also moments where normality is thrown right out the window; 'Lost Love' defines freeform, but has nothing on 'A Story From A Chair', where one can be convinced they are overhearing the sounds emanating from a baby monitor. Ironically, despite their willful creativity and experimentation, it is the two most conventional tracks that bear most fruit. Wallentin's more subtle approach pays enormous dividends on the serene, sparse beauty of 'I Can't Tell In His Eyes'. But 'The Battle In The Water' takes the biscuit, it's tale of murder unfolding as the tension heightens to tremendous effect. The only snag with Heartcore may be that those who find vocal acrobatics distasteful could run for the hills, though if they endure the initial discomfort there are rewards to be found. This is a bewitching listen - they visit our shores soon (Crawdaddy, 11th May) - you are strongly urged to check them out. Alan Morrissey  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Alan Morrissey Tue, 06 May 2008 13:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:368 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/377/The-Boggs-Forts#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=377 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=377&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/377/The-Boggs-Forts Review of The Boggs' album 'Forts' Review Snapshot: The sound of countless acts flows through the veins of the latest release from sometime Liar Jason Friedman, but no one utilises them in the same inventive way. This is a sonic brew, mixing ingredients of highlights from the last decade of music with the sheer irrepressible energy of The Boggs collective. The Cluas Verdict? 8 out of 10 Full Review: The new rock revolution (TM) which was ushered in at the dawn of the millennium saw some fresh life breathed into a music scene bloated from dining out on unpalatable Nu-Metal. The likes of The Strokes, The White Stripes and their like brought some much needed vitality without doing anything new. As the years have rolled by and The Rapture (sometime tourmates of The Boggs) and Bloc Party have come and gone, it's clear that they're tapping into a period of music (1977-1981) and taking all the style, but none of the substance. Bands like XTC, Wire and Gang Of Four thrived on having no template to rely upon, but the modern bands have missed this very point. It's fine having influences, but bring something of yourself to the mix. Thankfully The Boggs are around to remind us that creativity is not a concept from a bygone age Since 2002's 'We Are The Boggs We Are' they've been proving that it's possible to look to the post-punk era, yet turn it into just one component in the sonic soufflé. One listen to 'Forts' will immediately reveal a band in thrall to Wire and their ilk, but as cartographers of The New America (as they modestly bill themselves!) there are any number of things going on at any one time on this album. He may have relocated to Berlin for a brief period, but Jason Friedman (for he is The Boggs) cannot keep his New York roots under wraps. The finest NY acts - from The Velvet Underground, through to Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo and beyond - have displayed a fiercely independent and creative spirit. So it is too with the Liars associate, who moves through folk, garage, punk and disco over the course of these 13 tracks. The title track hints at territory previously covered by Radiohead post 'OK Computer', but is completed by vocals from Friedman which sound eerily like the maniacal yelping patented by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. The Mouse influence is also evident on 'One Year On', which features a rather lovely vocal from Heather D'Angelo from Au Revoir Simone. Fans of The Rapture may find comfort in the post-punk guitar and thumping rhythm of 'Remember The Orphans' while 'Little Windows' surprises with its unconventional catchiness and tasteful use of trombone/trumpet. 'If We Want, meanwhile,' manages the impressive feat of combining a maelstrom of Nuggets era backing, chanting vocals and a world music beat. But perhaps the album highlight may be 'The Passage' - a borderline dirge which carries guitar work reminiscent of the Redneck Manifesto and is complimented brilliantly by the hushed vocals of Karen Sharky. Of course few records are flawless and so is the case with 'Forts'. It loses a touch of coherence over the last couple of tracks, with 'So I So You' being a bit throwaway. But The Boggs deserve plaudits for being so risky as to fall flat on their face in the first place. So many bases are covered that some may not totally come off, but the very fact that they show such a huge amount of ambition is to be admired. Alan Morrissey  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Alan Morrissey Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:27:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:377 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/379/Cass-McCombs-Dropping-The-Writ#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=379 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=379&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/379/Cass-McCombs-Dropping-The-Writ A review of Cass McCombs album 'Dropping The Writ' Review Snapshot: Cass McCombs' career up to now may point to someone whose attention span never focuses on one place, or thing, for too long. Thankfully this doesn't apply to his new record. 'Dropping The Writ' is a fantastic ragbag of various styles and influences, but they're all blended together to create a collection that is unique and deserves to be heard by a wider audience. The Cluas Verdict?  8 out of 10 Full Review: Music lovers tend to appreciate when their favourite artists invest a little bit of their life story into their work.Think of Leonard Cohen recounting his numerous romantic encounters at the Chelsea Hotel, or Bob Dylan soundtracking a marriage on the precipice on 'Blood On The Tracks' for examples of music that touched the listener because they conveyed the kind of real life drama everyone can empathise with. Californian troubadour Cass McCombs would certainly appeal to those who enjoy this kind of approach, as his work seems to be accompanied by numerous trials and tribulations which have been lifted straight from his diary. His biography is entitled 'Change & Survival' and chronicles the life of a young man who clearly has a restless spirit. Bouncing from coast to coast in the U.S., picking up and dropping musical partners from town to town, McCombs seems to treat his muse as a compass. He returned to his hometown just long enough to to read dianetics (!) and record 'Dropping The Writ', his fourth and most satisfying release to date. It's been said that his music 'alternates between mania and wonder... with the humourous, wry use of stories plucked from his own life experience' and this certainly seems to be the case with 'Lionkiller', the opening track. It stomps along with a tough, bluesy riff as Cass hollers; "My grandfather cut the umbilical cord / and I took my first breath in the maternity ward... / I was encouraged to sing, I was a privileged soul". He dips further into his journals on the fantastic 'That's That'- as the reflecitve narrative continues; "I got a job cleaning toilets in a nightclub in Baltimore". Perhaps the most impressive element about this album is how the evident influences are used to effect various styles and sounds, but the material on offer never descends into parody or pastiche. 'Pregnant Pause' gives off an acoustic vibe reminiscent of Elliott Smith and is topped off by a harmonica which could have been played by Neil Young himself, yet McCombs' authority and character is stamped all over it. A similar case occurs on 'Deseret' - the change in tempo and song structure points to the wayward spirit of Syd Barrett, but the track still sounds very much up to date. There are numerous moments throughout that betray Cass' Californian roots. Check out 'Crick In My Neck' for hints of The Beach Boys and the late 60s/early 70s Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter scene. And just for good measure he ticks Americana off his to do list with 'Windfall'. The standout factor about 'Dropping The Writ' is the pervading sense of a carefree attitude. Cass McCombs clearly treats his music seriously, yet the overall package gives the impression of someone who hasn't a worry in the world, least of all where the quality of his music is concerned. This album bears repeated listening. And in a musical scene full of joyless facsimiles of acts we loved from yesteryear, there is no higher compliment that can be paid. Alan Morrissey  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Alan Morrissey Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:15:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:379 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/390/Aerial-The-Sentinel#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=390 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=390&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/390/Aerial-The-Sentinel Review Snapshot:   At many points throughout 'The Sentinel' Swedish post rock merchants Aerial threaten to join the heirarchy of post rock, yet a lack of clarity and the vision to take a song to the next level leave them floundering in the 'what might have been' category. There are plenty of great moments for sure, but it becomes clearer as each track goes by that no song will take the necessary step that will mark them out as extraordinary. Instead the majority of the songs fizzle out with endings that are interchangeable with any other song on the album.   The CLUAS Verdict?  6.5 out of 10  Full Review: In the last decade or so 'post rock' has become the most critically lauded musical genre of them all. Certainly, it has been the most uber-hip outpost on the musical landscape, with many of the major players enjoying as much success as is possible for groups who play, for the most part, awkward, mostly instrumental, lengthy pieces. However, as with any other area of music there are those who excel and others who are content to plod along. Any band looking for direction in terms of post rock can go down either of two roads; set out your stall and continually build upon it ( see Isis from 'Celestial' to 'In The Absence Of Truth' ), or become creatively stagnant , as Explosions In The Sky have proven by turning out basically the same record for the last few releases. Can Swedish post rock merchants Aerial avoid the pitfalls on their new record? Well...not entirely. Sure, there are plenty of moments which make 'The Sentinel' a worthwhile listening experience. 'My God It's Full Of Stars' sets the ball rolling, with sweet vocals, a lovely melody and Explosions style guitar work that dissolves into a crashing crescendo. 'You Will All Die, All Things Will', meanwhile, is perhaps the standout track on the album. It opens with liquid guitar lines and a fantastic, shoegazing type vocal. There's a lull in the middle of proceedings before a furious flurry of feedback that wouldn't be out of place on a Sonic Youth record. Aerial don't just deal in sweetness and light though. '46th Street' contains the kind of gargantuan riff that Isis or Cult Of Luna wouldn't turn their noses up at. However, despite these positives 'The Sentinel' lacks a certain cohesion which would pull the whole record together. Though the bands use of vocals ensures that things never get too predictable, there is a definite feeling of deja vu at plenty of junctures. Sure, each song by itself is very pretty and lovely, but on 'Walk With Me' they get a bit too close to post rock-by-numbers, while 'The Youth Star Deleters' and 'Secret Godess' are interchangeable with each other. The link tracks only serve to make the record feel even more disjointed. There is definitely enough going on to suggest that Aerial will make their 'Oceanic' or 'Spiderland' at some stage, but they will need to add something to the mix to avoid joining the list of instrumental also rans. Alan Morrissey  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Alan Morrissey Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:54:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:390 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/399/Neil-Young-Live-At-Massey-Hall#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=399 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=399&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/399/Neil-Young-Live-At-Massey-Hall Review Snapshot: The second disc to be released from his Archives file, this live set, captured in front of an adoring crowd in Toronto in 1971, shows Neil Young on top of his game. With a set containing material from his first two albums, as well as songs from the (at the time) upcoming 'Harvest', Young proves that he's unrivalled in his ability to engage with an audience in an acoustic setting. A magical live album.  The CLUAS Verdict? 8.5 out of 10 Full Review: The release last year of 'Live At The Fillmore East' provided the first tangible evidence that Neil Young might just follow through on his long held promise to release his mammoth Archives project. Now further proof has arrived in the shape of 'Live At Massey Hall 1971'. This live set captures Young in what may well be the most creatively fertile period of his long career. The past year had seen him take massive strides with 'After The Goldrush', as well as a diverting sojourn with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Though he was still a year away from the fully fledged superstardom that the gargantuan sales of 'Harvest' would bring, 'Massey Hall' bears evidence that this would be a mere formality. Recorded in front of what was effectively a home crowd in Toronto, the sense of excitement from start to finish is palpable. Though Young was in a back brace after an accident on his ranch he clearly wasn't about to let it get in the way of capturing the audience in the palm of his hand. Accompanied only by guitar and piano, he sets about mesmerising the crowd with an arsenal of tunes, the likes of which only Dylan at the time was in possession of. To single out highlights from this album is tantamount to trying to find the shiniest diamond in the mine. Simply put, there is something here for everybody. Young delivers the old in the shape of beautifully stripped-back versions of 'Cowgirl In The Sand' and 'Down By The River', while 'Don't Let It Bring You Down' is as haunting as ever. As with any Neil Young show there are rarities aplenty- 'Bad Fog Of Loneliness' and a laidback 'See The Sky About To Rain' testify to this- but perhaps the best part of the show is the delivery of new material. Much of the subsequent dissatisfaction with 'Harvest' centred around the dilution of brilliant songs with an avalanche of orchestration. 'Massey Hall' shows these (at the time) new songs in a very different light. Shorn of its bells and whistles, the ominous chords of 'There's A World' finally come to the fore. 'Old Man' sounds as life-affirming as ever, while to hear the segue of'A Man Needs A Maid'into 'Heart Of Gold' is to bear witness to an artist on an unstoppable role. David Briggs, Young's long time producer and friend, deemed this performance so good that he felt it should be the official follow up to 'After The Goldrush'. When one hears this album it's easy to understand his enthusiasm. Though Neil Young still has much to offer as an artist, both musically and ideologically, there can be no argument that throughout the 70's he never put a foot wrong, as 'Live At Massey Hall 1971' reveals. Alan Morrissey  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Alan Morrissey Sun, 04 Nov 2007 13:23:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:399 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/404/Josh-Ritter-The-Historical-Conquests-Of#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=404 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=404&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/404/Josh-Ritter-The-Historical-Conquests-Of Review Snapshot: He may be a shining light in an overcrowded Irish singer-songwriter scene, but this album finds Josh Ritter failing to take the leap forward that his fans might have hoped for. Though there are certainly enough moments to suggest that he may make a record to deserve the increased attention he is receiving in the US, too many average songs ensure that this record is not it. The Cluas Verdict? 5.5 out of 10 Full Review:  The last couple of years have been a series of ups and downs for Idaho native Josh Ritter. His last album, The Animal Years, which saw him tackle the political situation in the US, moved him further up the ranks in the Irish singer-songwriter scene into which he has been adopted, as well as coming to the attention of the likes of Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately, the very night he performed on the Letterman Show to promote that album his label, V2, collapsed, leaving him to evaluate his next move. The Historical Conquests Of finds Ritter caught between reflective ballads and late night bar stompers, all of them emitting a whiff of the kind of Americana that's eulogised more often than is strictly necessary by Uncut magazine. Simply put, this record won't see him breaking out into the mainstream. He may have fans of the calibre of The Boss, but this album would suggest that he has a long road to travel before he can feel like an equal in his company. The problem is that whatever talent Ritter may possess is spread far too thinly over the course of 14 tracks. There are certainly positives to be taken; 'Wait For Love' is a dreamlike acoustic number with lovely harmonies and 'Real Long Distance' sees a reasonable attempt at the kind of 70s piano rocker that Elton John patented. On 'Temptation Of Adam', meanwhile, he apes Jeff Tweedy effectively. The real ace in the pack, though, is 'Right Moves'. Here Josh achieves the level of quality that could see him go mainstream, possessing as it does a huge AOR chorus that the Eagles managed on a regular basis. The quality of this song, however, highlights the mundanity of the material on offer elsewhere. The majority of the remainder of the record fails to rise above the mediocre. Opener 'To The Dogs' is very dull, 'Rumors' and 'Minds Eye' are instantly forgettable, while 'Open Doors' is the real nadir, a repetitive dirge which goes absolutely nowhere. So, where to next for Josh Ritter? No doubt he will still be seen as a major player on the Irish scene, playing sold out shows at Vicar Street till kingdom come ( which is no bad thing!), but if he really wants to move beyond the confines of this isle and become better known in his own homeland then Josh needs to seperate the wheat from the chaff, focus his muse and become far more consistent on future releases. Alan Morrissey  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Alan Morrissey Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:18:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:404 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/405/Levy-Glorious#Comments 0 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=36&ModuleID=728&ArticleID=405 https://www.cluas.com:443/indie-music/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=405&PortalID=0&TabID=36 https://www.cluas.com/indie-music/Home/ID/405/Levy-Glorious Review Snapshot: This melodically ambitious record from former anti-folker shows plenty of scope in relation to the presentation of the songs, yet is let down by repetition of production techniques. Despite this 'Glorious' shows plenty of promise. The CLUAS Verdict? 7 out of 10 Full Review: "Always look on the bright side of life", the Monty Python crew advised on their wonderfully upbeat ditty, words that New York's James Levy appears to have taken to heart on his new album. Though his day job may be filling out burial forms for Jewish cemeteries, Levy maintains a positive outlook, as evidenced by the title track which opens the record. "God bless the world, it's glorious" goes the chorus and as an opening statement of intent it's pretty impressive; full of strings, jangly guitars and an 80s style sheen which veers towards the epic. While he may have made his name as part of the anti-folk movement (Moldy Peaches et al) Levy steers clear of their ramshackle approach to songwriting & production, going for the jugular with emotive rock ('So Hard', 'Your Demise') and piano-laden balladry on 'Love And Pain'. At certain points throughout the album, particularly on 'Holy Water', Levy also betrays the same knack for muffled vocals and melodic guitar lines that his hometown peers, The Strokes, are (or were!) reknowned for. Unfortunately, despite touching on a number of stylistic reference points and showing awareness of concise song structure, 'Glorious' is let down by the production. When it works to serve the song- as on the title track- there is no doubt that it is beneficial, yet when a similar polish appears on song after song it only dulls the impact of the album, giving it a samey-samey feel. However, despite these misgivings, Levy has shown a flair for melody which should serve him well on subsequent albums. Alan Morrissey  To buy a new or (very reasonably priced) 2nd hand copy of this album on Amazon just click here. More ... Alan Morrissey Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:14:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:405